106 | BUILDING Goldsack Builders T T Virginia Wright Versatile team delivers on quality A top quality job, every time, defines Goldsack Builders. Stan Goldsack began his career when he left tschool o start as a joinery apprentice where he learnt his trade working on things like kitchens, staircases, and the doors and windows for cedar conservatories which were the fashion at the time. After 10 years Stan decided he wanted to take his skills into the building industry proper. He worked for a commercial building company for a few years and later contracted to a local Hamilton builder for a few more. That was doing renovations and extensions as well as building upmarket, award-winning homes which suited him well with his training in finer work, and he decided it was time to start working for himself. That was 25 years ago with Waikato’s Goldsack Builders Ltd. having recently celebrated their silver anniversary. Then as now they operate according to the advice Stan was given by a cousin who had been building for several years when starting out: “‘Go anywhere and do anything’. Having been through a couple of downturns Stan knows first-hand that the building industry is cyclical and his cousin’s advice has stood him in good stead when the going got tough. “If I had to travel I travelled, and if I was asked to do something I hadn’t done before I sought advice and did it,” says Stan. The strategy clearly worked. They moved from their original Hamilton base to Ngahinapouri where they added a purpose-built workshop and later a new home, which they then used as a show-home to advertise their skills. His son Jayden, now 27, who used to often be at his side on site while growing up, joined the company and became an award-winning apprentice in Waikato. He’s now Stan’s leading hand and trains other apprentices as they come through the company. The team usually numbers three or four full-time with others contracted as required. The jobs have progressed from decks and small renovations including plenty of kitchen refurbishments where Stan’s joinery skills were put to good use, to building houses for the rental market, to beautiful bespoke homes. Unlike many, Goldsack Builders enjoy the challenge of doing a renovation, often bringing with it the need to think outside the square. “You never know what you’re facing and nothing’s just kitset put together. You’ve got to make it work and often that means you have to cut and frame it yourself on site to make everything fit properly,” says Stan. After an approach from Chignal Buckle Team Architects a few years ago Stan and his team moved into building apartments which they build and project manage to completion. They’re now onto their third of these multi-million dollar projects with the most recent in the final stages of completion. Having multiple units adds complexity to the work which for Stan only adds to his enjoyment of the work. With his background a standard new house build is straightforward, and he relishes the challenge of bespoke builds like the recently completed architectural house overlooking the golf course in St. Andrews. “It’s not a big house but quite complex, with a bit more thinking involved and now that all the landscaping’s been done and you can really see the workmanship it’s come up well.” Having been a joiner for many years, and now working for himself Stan always has the next guy behind him in mind when he’s building. “I think about him when I work. A lot of my jobs are priced but we’re not paid by the square metre where you have to rush through the job because you’re not getting enough to take any care. I care about the jib-stopper, I care about the painter and Jayden is extremely fussy too and I’m proud about that because he makes sure it’s right.” Part of getting it right means using the right products so when one of Stan’s customers, a distributor of kitchen adhesives, sealants and cleaning products, was about to shut up shop and walk away he bought his stock and took over the distribution of the UK Unika Innovations products, now IPS Adhesives. Stan’s wife Leeann now looks after that side of the business which holds the New Zealand-wide agency for Mitrebond products and Unika Gloss Surface Cleaner under the name Goldtech. Jayden looks after all the Goldsack Builders Ltd social media where he posts photographs of different jobs, but they mainly get their work through word of mouth and repeat business. Not surprising given that Stan’s priority is customer satisfaction. “It’s what we try to achieve. When we walk away we want people to be happy. People like what we do and they like the finesse of my son and what he does too.” While he’s not in any hurry to hang up his tool belt, Stan’s hope is that Jayden will carry on the legacy he’s built up over 25 years for a further 25 years into the future. ROOFS
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